Talk:Capture of John "Calico Jack" Rackham

Erroneous reference

One of the sources cited for this article (Lord Archibald Hamilton "An answer to an anonymous libel, entitled Articles exhibited against lord Archibald Hamilton, late governour of Jamaica" ) dates from 2 years before the William was captured. Is it intended simply to confirm that Jonathan Barnet was the captain of the Snow Tyger? Other than that very minor point, it seems completely irrelevant. Lvillazon (talk) 13:47, 17 January 2017 (UTC)

References

Primary sources establishing the details of the battle.

I spent a good deal of time editing the capture section as there were several errors present. Dry Harbour Bay / Discovery Bay, where it was previously stated Rackham was captured, is mentioned in the tryals of Captain John Rackham, but Rackham’s stop there was recorded to be on October 20 which is well ahead of the date of his capture. 

The document does not provide an exact date for Rackham’s capture but in another document, Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 32, 1720-1721, Governor Sir N. Lawes reported that Barnet captured Rackham “about a fortnight ago” in a November 13 entry. This would put the date of his capture on or around October 31. Lawes also wrote that capture took place at the leeward part of the island which is the west coast of Jamaica.



Another clue to the location is Jonathan Barnet's sailing route that's described in the trial document. It's mentioned that Barnet was sailing towards Negril point heading for Cuba. The document goes on to say that Barnet put the pirates ashore at Davis's Cove (referred to as Industry Cove today) which is roughly 13 miles north of Negril. Negril is approximately 75 miles from Dry Harbour Bay and it makes no sense for Barnet to travel that distance, passing numerous towns and cities, just to bring the prisoners ashore. Barnet would have stopped in the closest settlement to turn the pirates over.